Apparatus for producing wound bobbins with controlled thread tension



July 31, 1962 w. KOTTE 3,047,247 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING WOUND BOBBINSWITH CONTROLLED THREAD TENSION Filed Feb. 17, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

W. KOTTE APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING WOUND BOBBINS WITH CONTROLLED THREADTENSION July 31, 1962 Filed Feb. 17, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: WL. LY K O T T E July 31, 1962 w. KOTTE 3,047,247

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING WOUND BOBBINS WITH CONTROLLED THREAD TENSIONFiled Feb. 17, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.4

INVENTOR: W I L LY K OT T E United States Patent ()fifice 3,041,247Patented July 31, 1962 3,047,247 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING WOUND ROBBINSWlTl-l CGNTROLLED Al) TENSION Willy Kotte, Ruck, pessart, KlosterHimmelthal, Germany, assignor to Vereinigte Glanzstofi-Fabriken AG,Wuppertal-Elberfeld, Germany Filed Feb. 17, 1956, Ser. No. 565,257Claims priority, application Germany Feb. 18, 1955 Claims. (Cl. 242)This invention relates to an apparatus for producing wound bobbins witha controlled thread tension.

In the production of wound bobbins for industries, such as weaving andthe like, it is desirable that the tension of the thread being wound becontrolled at all times. Attempts to control thread tension during thewinding have included the use of thread brakes which keep the threadunder tension and the braking action of which is adjusted with increasesin the time of winding or with increases in the diameter of the windingbobbin, thus generally reducing the thread tension. A thread feeler maybe employed between the thread brake and the winding bobbin which isresponsive to changes in thread tension and in the case of an increasein thread tension will cause a reduction in the braking effect of thethread brake. If the thread tension decreases, the thread feeler willcause an increase in the braking elfect.

The employment of a thread brake to control thread tension has thedisadvantage that it has only a decelerating function. When the threadtension becomes great enough the thread brake fails to function since itcan not accelerate feeding of the thread and thus reduces the tension.Furthermore, since winding machines customarily have a constant bobbinrotation speed, very fine threads could not be wound with sufficientlylow tension since the use of a thread brake plus other devices, such ascleaning discs, loop knives and guide rollers, produces a tension whichexceeds the desired maximum, particularly in the topmost layers on thebobbin.

Attempts have been made to control the tension on the thread byadjustment of the winding speed of the bobbin. Variations in the threadtension are picked up by athread feeler which actuates a speed regulatoron the bobbin driving means. This method has the disadvantage that thereis a considerable time lag in correcting certain tension variations suchas that caused by the increasing diameter of the winding bobbin.Furthermore, the method lacks precision in correcting tension variationsat remote points such as the thread supply cop.

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for windingthread in which the thread tension may be efiiciently control-led withfine as well as coarse threads and regardless of the amount or source ofthe tension variations.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for windingthread in which the thread tension may be controlled whether the windingspeed be constant or varied.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for windingthread in which the tension variations may be corrected with a minimumtime lag.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description and drawing. The latterillustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention in which likenumbers are used to indicate like parts, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention withparts therein shown schematically;

FIG. 2 is a sectioned elevational view of a specific embodiment ofanother speed adjusting means for the take-01f device of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of parts shown in FIG.4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5, and

;FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the speed-adjusting means of FIGS. 2-6in a thread-winding apparatus with parts therein shown schematically.

The invention is accomplished by an apparatus comprising a takeoffdevice engaging and feeding the thread from a supply cop to the windingbobbin, thread tensioning means contacting and guiding the threadbetween the take-off device and the bobbin, adjustable-speed drivingmeans drivingly associated with the take-ofi' device, andspeed-adjusting means for the driving means. The tensioning means isresponsive to changes in the thread hoard by the guide loop and isoperatively associated with the speed-adjusting means so that the speedof the driving means is adjusted with changes in the thread hoard. It ispreferable that the speed-adjusting means for the driving means becomeoperatively associated with the threadtensioning pivot arm only when agiven change occurs in the thread hoard so that the thread hoard will bemaintained within given limits.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated in FIG. 1, thethread 1 is drawn from a supply cop 2 by a take-01f roller 3, passesthrough a guide loop 4 on a tensioning arm 5 having a pivotal mounting6, changes its direction to pass through a thread guide 7 on a threadlayer 8 at the locus of winding and is wound on a winding bobbin 9mounted on a drive shaft 10 which is rotated conventionally by a drivingmeans (not shown). The take-off roller 3 has a wavy groove therein tofrictionally engage the thread and is mounted on a drive shaft 11 whichis rotated at a controlled speed by a variable-output-speed frictiondrive transmission 12 which is coupled to the rotating shaft 10 by meansof pulleys 13 and 14 and belt 15.

The thread layer 8 is mounted on a shaft 16 so as to be pivotableoutwardly from the bobbin 9 and has conventional means (not shown) for areciprocating movement parallel to the shaft 10 between the ends of thebobbin 9.

A compressed spring 17 mounted on a movable support rod 18 is coupled tothe pivot arm 5 so as to supply a controlled tension to the thread atthe loop 4. The movable support rod 18 is coupled to the thread layer 8by means of a bell crank 19 and a swivel rod 20 so as to decompressspring 17 and supply reduced tension to the thread at loop 4 as thethread layer 8 is pivoted outwardly from the bobbin 9 with increasinglayers of thread.

The transmission 12 is connected by an electrical cir cult to anelectrical regulating means which is a reversible electric motor 21having its field coil wired to brush contacts 22 and 23. The contacts 22and 23 are spaced on opposing sides of the free-swinging end 24 of thepivot arm 5 so as to be contacted when a change in thread hoard occursgreater than the normal periodic fluctuation caused by the reciprocatingmovement of the thread layer 8.

When an increase in board occurs in the thread 1 greater than that dueto the reciprocating movement of the thread layer, the free-swinging end24 of the pivot arm 5 contacts the contact means 22, causing the motor21 to be driven in one direction so that it rotates the shaft 25connected to the transmission 12 to decrease its output speed anddecelerate the take-off roller 3 thus restoring the original threadhoard.

Similarly, when a decrease in thread hoard occurs greater than thatcaused by the thread layer, the end 24 contacts the contact 23. In thiscase, the current flowing from the power source through the pivot arm ordancer arm 5 causes the reversible motor 21 to rotate in the directionopposite from which it rotates when contact 22 is touched. This, inturn, causes the transmission 12 to accelerate the take-off roller 3thus increasing the thread hoard the original amount.

As increasing layers of thread are wound upon the bobbin 9, the threadlayer 8 moves outwardly from the bobbin, by which simultaneouslydeeompresses the spring 17 by means of swivel rod 20, bell crank 19 andspring support rod 18 to effect a further upward deflection of arm 5 anddiminish the original thread tension.

The reciprocating movement of the thread layer 8 causes a periodicfluctuation in the thread hoard. However, since these fiuctuations aresmall they do not actuate the regulator 21 because of the free space foraction between end 24 and contact means 22 and 23.

Various modifications may be made in the above-described embodimentwithin the scope of the invention. For example, an electric or magneticfield may be employed instead of the spring 17 providing the tensioningarm 5 is light enough to follow the fluctuations caused by the threadlayer without actuating the regulator 21. The belt-pulley arrangement13, 14 and 15 may be dispensed with and a separate motor may be employedfor driving the take-off roller 3. The transmission 12 may be acontinuously adjustable friction wheel transmission or any othercontinuously adjustable transmission. The electrical regulating motor 21may also be replaced by any known mechanical pneumatic, hydraulic,electrical or mechanical device which can transform the contactingdeclinations of the arm 24 into controlling impulses for adjusting thetransmission 12.

If the thread tension in the wound bobbin is to remain unchanged duringthe winding, the support rod 18 of the spring 17 may be fixed; or itsposition may be made dependent on other influences than the diameter ofthe winding bobbin. For example, the position of the rod 18 may be madedependent on the adjustment of the transmission 12 or on the windingspeed. In any case, by these means, the thread tension on andimmediately preceding the bobbin may be adjusted with a high degree ofprecision and with any desired amount of variation throughout thewinding period without any detrimental elfect on the thread tension.

FIGS. 2 to 7 illustrate a further embodiment of the invention in whichthe entire apparatus for controllably varying the speed of rotation ofthe take-off roller 3 according to the tension on the thread is housedin a box 25. The apparatus includes a continuously rotatable drive disc26 coupled to the pulley 13 by a drive shaft 27, the pulley 13 beingdriven continuously by drive means previously described. Speed-adjustingcoupling means for drivingly coupling the disc 26 to the take-off roller3 are provided by a rotatable shaft 28 fixed to the roller 3 and afriction wheel 29 mounted on a part of the shaft 28 which is splined orotherwise constructed so that the wheel 29 is rotatable with the shaft28 and slidable therealong. The Wheel 29 frictionally engages a fiatside of the disc 26 at various radial positions there on, the particularposition of engagement being varied by control means operatively coupledto the wheel 29 so as to slide the wheel on the shaft 28 responsive tothe tension of the thread.

The control means for controllably moving the wheel 29 with respect tothe disc 26 includes a threaded means comprising a sleeve 30 surroundingthe shaft 28 and movable therealong. A spring 31 on the shaft 28 urgesthe wheel 29 against one end of the sleeve 30, the bearing surface onboth sides of the wheel 29 avoiding friction with the spring on one sideand the sleeve on the other side. The sleeve 30 has an indicatorappendage 32 extending into a slot 33 in the housing 25 to preventrotation of the sleeve and to indicate its longitudinal position on theshaft 28. The sleeve has a male threaded end 34 coupled into a femalethreaded collar 35 on one end of a control cylinder or tube-nut 36rotatably mounted in the housing 25.

Means for rotating the cylinder are provided which include a pair ofdogs or angle levers 37 and 38, each of which has a slot 39 and 40 forengaging opposite sides of an end of the control cylinder 36 extendingfrom the housing 25. Continuously oscillating drive means for the dogs37 and 38 are provided by a connecting rod 41, one end of which iscoupled to the upper ends of the dogs and the other end of which iscoupled to a cam 42 on the drive shaft 27 by means of a cam follower 43having a pivotal mounting 44. An independent drive means may also beused to provide the oscillatory motion. The slots 39 and 40 in the dogs37 and 38 have sharp angled edges 45 which engage the cylinder 36 whenthe dogs are offset with respect to each more than a given amount so asto rotate the cylinder by increments as the dogs oscillate, therotatable direction and incremental amount corresponding to the amountof offsetting of the dogs. The angling of the sharp edges 45 is suchthat when the dogs are set evenly with respect to each other or offsetless than the aforementioned given amount, the dogs oscillate freelywithout torque on the cylinder 36.

Means responsive to the thread tensioning for offsetting the dogs 37 and38 include a pair of push-pull links 46 and 47 each of which contact orare coupled to the lower end of one of the dogs at one pair of ends, andeach of the other ends of which are pivotally connected to one arm of adouble armed lever 48. The lever 48 is fixed at its center to one end ofa shaft 49 rotatably mounted in the housing 25. A thread engagingtensioning arm 5 is fixed to the other end of the shaft 49 so as torotate the shaft as the arm swings in engagement with the thread.

The aforementioned given amount of offsetting of the dogs 37 and 38which causes the sharp angled edges 45 to engage and rotate the cylinder36 is suificient to permit changes in tensioning of the thread due tothe reciprocating movement of the previously described thread layingmeans without the dogs becoming operative to rotate the controlcylinder. The tensioning variations due to the reciprocating movement ofthe thread layer are absorbed by a torsion spring 50 torsionallyassociated with the rotatable shaft 49. One end 51 of the spring isfixed to the shaft 49 and the other end 52 may be fixed to the housing25 (not shown). However, if it is desired to vary the tensioning of thethread as the winding operation proceeds, a gear means is provided whichis operatively associated with the rotatable cylinder 36 and with thetorsion spring 50 whereby a rotation of the cylinder 36 effects anadjustment of the torsion spring. This is illustrated in FIG. 2 whereinthe spring end 52 is fixed to a gear wheel 53 rotatably mounted on theshaft 49, the wheel 53 being adjustably coupled by intermediate gears 54and 55 to a gear wheel 56 fixed to the cylinder 36.

The dogs 37 and 38 have at their upper ends ball heads 60, 61 slidablymounted inside of slide tracks 62 and 63 secured on the rod 41, which issupported for sliding movement in bearing members 64 and 65. The ballheads are free to slide and pivot in their respective tracks during thereciprocation of arm 41 until the sharp edges 45 of their respectivedogs engage the control cylinder 36, at which point during reciprocalmovement in one direction the connection through the dog between thecontrol cylinder 36 and the reciprocating arm becomes rigid. As the arm41 moves further in its linear travel, the control cylinder 36 isrotated by pivotal movement of the dog and the speed of the take-offdevice 3 is adjusted to restore the thread hoard by the mechanismpreviously described. The rate of speed adjustment in this embodiment isvariable, depending upon the amount of change in the thread hoard,because, the greater the change in the thread hoard, the greater is theoffsetting of the dogs 37, 38.

For example, with the dogs positioned as shown in FIG. 4, the dog 37 ina lowered position will clamp the control cylinder 36 when the arm 41moves to the left and thus rotate the cylinder in a counterclockwisedirection. The dog 37 releases When the arm 41 reverses direction. Thedog 33 in the raised position does not clamp the cylinder 36 during thereciprocal cycle of arm 41. The amount of rotation of the controlcylinder 36 per reciprocal cycle of the arm 41 and hence the rate ofspeed adjustment of the drive for the take-off device 3, varies with thedegree of change in the thread hoard of the running thread. The greaterthe change in the thread hoard, the greater is the offsetting of thedogs. As the degree of displacement of the lower operable dog increases,it engages the control cylinder at an earlier point in the reciprocaltravel of arm 41, and hence the control cylinder 36 is rotated a greateramount during a reciprocal cycle. able rate of speed adjustment of thetake-off device, which rate is responsive to the amount of change in thethread hoard.

When a change in tensioning of the thread occurs which is greater thanthat due to the reciprocating movement of the thread layer, the arm 5 ispivoted in a direction dependent on whether the change is an increase ordecrease in tensioning, causing the lever 48 on the shaft 49 to rotatecorrespondingly. This causes the dogs 37 and 38 to become offset so asto engage the cylinder 36. The oscillatory motion supplied continuouslyto the dogs through the connecting rod 41 then causes the dogs to rotatethe cylinder 36 which moves the sleeve 3% and wheel 29 in a longitudinaldirection along the shaft 28. The change in the radial position of thewheel 29 on the continuously rotating disc 26 causes a correspondingchange in the speed of rotation of the wheel 29 and the roller 3 fixedthereto. As a result the roller accelerates or decelerates the feedingof the thread to the winding bobbin so as to restore the thread tensionto the original amount.

The invention makes possible the production of wound bobbins with acontrolled thread tension regardless of the winding speed. Furthermore,the resulting wound bobbin has uniformly wound layers of thread whetherthe thread be coarse or fine or of natural or synthetic origin. Theinvention is particularly effective in controlling the thread tension,since the control means employed serve equally well as accelerators ordecelerators for the thread.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a machine for winding thread having a rotating take-off rollerengaging and feeding the thread to a winding bobbin and having areciprocating thread laying means guiding the thread winding on thebobbin, apparatus for controllably varying the speed of rotation of theroller according to the hoard on the thread, said apparatus comprising acontinuously rotatable drive disc; a friction Wheel frictionallyengaging the disc, said wheel being movable to engage the disc atvarious radial positions thereon; means drivingly coupling the wheel tothe roller; control means for controllably moving the wheel with respectto the disc, said control means including a rotatably mounted controlcylinder and threaded means operatively associated with the cylinder andcoupled to the wheel for moving the wheel radially on the disc as thecylinder is rotated; continuously oscillating drive means; a pair ofdogs coupled to the oscillating drive means, each of said dogs engagingan opposite side of the control cylinder; means responsive to the threadhoard for offsetting the dogs with rmpect to each other, said dogs whenoffset more than a given amount being operative to rotate the controlcylinder by increments as the dogs oscillate, the rotatable directionand incremental amount corresponding to the offsetting of the dogs, saidgiven amount of offsetting being suflicient to permit The combinationthus provides a varichanges in hoard of the thread due to thereciprocating movement of said thread laying means without the dogsbecoming operative to rotate the control cylinder.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means responsive to thethread hoard for offsetting the dogs comprises an arm engageable withthe thread, a rotatably mounted shaft connected to the arm and rotatableas the arm swings in engagement with the thread, a double armed leverfixed to the shaft, and a pair of push-pull links each being pivotallyconnected to one of the arms of the lever, each of said links beingcoupled to one of the dogs whereby pivotal movement of the threadengaging arm will cause offsetting of the dogs.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means responsive to thethread hoard comprises an arm engageable with the thread, a rotatablymounted shaft connected to the arm and rotatable as the arm swings inengagement with the thread, an adjustable torsion spring torsionallyassociated with the rotatably mounted shaft, and gear means operativelyassociated with the rotatably mounted control cylinder and with thetorsion spring whereby a rotation of the control cylinder effects anadjustment of the torsion spring.

4. In a machine for winding thread at controlled thread tension, arotatable take-oh device for engaging and feeding thread from a supplycop to a winding package, thread feeler means for forming a thread hoardbetween said device and said package, said feeler means beingdisplaceable from its normal operative position in response to changesin said thread hoard, drive means connected with said take-01f devicefor rotatably driving said takeoff device, said drive means includingmeans for accelerating and decelerating, at variable rates ofacceleration and deceleration, the rate of rotation at which saidtake-013: device is rotatably driven by said drive means, and meansoperatively connecting said feeler means and said means for acceleratingand decelerating to give a rate of acceleration or deceleration of saidtake-off device correlated with the amount of displacement of saidfeeler means from its normal operative position in a relationshipwherein the rate of acceleration or deceleration increases with theamount of displacement of said thread feeler means from its normaloperative position.

5. In a machine for winding thread at controlled thread tension, arotatable take-01f device for engaging and feeding thread from a supplycop to a winding package, thread feeler means for forming a thread hoardbetween said device and said package, said feeler means beingdisplaceable from its normal operative position in response to changesin the thread hoard, drive means connected with said take-off device forrotatably driving said take-off device, said drive means including avariable-output-speed mechanical drive, and means for accelerating anddecelerating at variable rates of acceleration and deceleration theoutput speed of said mechanical drive, and means operatively connectingsaid feeler means and said means for accelerating and decelerating theoutput speed of said mechanical drive to give a rate of acceleration ordeceleration of said take-off device correlating with the amount ofdisplacement of said feeler means from its normal operative position ina relationship wherein the rate of acceleration or deceleration of theoutput speed of said drive increases wtih the amount of displacement ofsaid feeler means from its normal operative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS859,066 Hummel July 2, 1907 1,251,784 Joslin Jan. 1, 1918 1,572,761Brequet et a1 Feb. 9, 1926 2,242,435 Parvin May 20, 1941 2,335,965Ribavaro Dec. 7, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 280,490 Germany Nov. 14, 1914

